Virtual colonoscopy at Queen Sirikit Hospital?

[PMK]

Anyone know if they do this? Virtual,- I gather it's a type of MRI -not the one with an inserted camera.

Thanks.

[AyG]

Can't answer your question. However, remember that if anything suspicious or unclear is found by the virtual colonoscopy you'll have to undergo a regular colonoscopy, doubling the costs. In my opinion it's better just to have the standard colonoscopy.

[Sheryl]

Very much doubt Queen Sirikit or any but the private hospitals does this.

It is not as reliable as a colonoscopy and as above, you will still have to undergo a regular colonoscopy if anything doubtful appears.

Not currently recommended as a screening tool for cancer if the colon.

[Mobi]

I had one done at PhyaThai hospital in Sri Racha about 5 years ago. It is cheaper than a real one and far less invasive, but as Sheryl says, it is not as reliable as a proper one.

[PMK]

Can't answer your question. However, remember that if anything suspicious or unclear is found by the virtual colonoscopy you'll have to undergo a regular colonoscopy, doubling the costs. In my opinion it's better just to have the standard colonoscopy.

Thanks. I understand that. One advantage is it also looks at the liver and other organs.

[PMK]

I had one done at PhyaThai hospital in Sri Racha about 5 years ago. It is cheaper than a real one and far less invasive, but as Sheryl says, it is not as reliable as a proper one.

Wow - just checked - they are really cheap if the exam is the same. BHT12,500, and have a December promo for only 7,200 if you get the 3,990 checkup. Were you happy with the treatment/service there?

[Mobi]

I had one done at PhyaThai hospital in Sri Racha about 5 years ago. It is cheaper than a real one and far less invasive, but as Sheryl says, it is not as reliable as a proper one.

Wow - just checked - they are really cheap if the exam is the same. BHT12,500, and have a December promo for only 7,200 if you get the 3,990 checkup. Were you happy with the treatment/service there?

The care I received at Phyathai was fine. It is a friendly, well equipped, modern hospital, although I doubt they have many top specialists working there.

The procedure is much simpler and that is reflected in the cost.

A normal colonoscopy is carried out under general anaesthetic in an OR, and some hospitals, (eg Q Sirikit), admit you overnight.

The 'virtual' is carried out in an X -ray/ultrasound type room and really doesn't take very long.

I suppose it all depends on what you are hoping to find and /or diagnose by these procedures.

In my case, I had undiagnosed gastric problems - chronic diarrhoea etc and the virtual procedure did not indicate the cause. I then had a proper colonoscopy at Bumrungrad, plus some other procedures and still the cause remained undiagnosed although I was prescribed a wide wide range of drugs which is was hoped might solve the problem.

In desperation I went yet a third hospital with all my previous records and l and was told I had IBS.

Some time later I tried cutting out cow's milk products and I thought I had a miraculous cure. It seemed that the problem was lactose intolerance.

5 years down the line, the problem reappeared, along with terrible abdominal pains and I went through all these tests and procedures again at three different hospitals again before I was finally diagnosed with chronic pancreatitis. I think I have had it for many years, but it has been gradually getting worse.

The only test that could diagnose this condition is an MRI or CAT scan. The MRI is more accurate.No other test, including a endoscopy, can examine the pancreas.

I am telling you all this so that you can consider whether it is really worth going through the interim stage of having the 'virtual'. Many hospitals will not do them as they do not provide a definitive diagnosis for many abdominal conditions.

BTW, one of the worst parts of having a 'proper' colonoscopy is the enema you have to take the night before to clean out your stomach.

Agh.......

[AyG]

BTW, one of the worst parts of having a 'proper' colonoscopy is the enema you have to take the night before to clean out your stomach.

Agh.......

I think you meant "laxative", not "enema". It's also required before a virtual colonoscopy.

Colonoscopies aren't only done under general anaesthetic. They can be done under twilight anaesthesia (you're barely conscious, feel no pain, but can change position if asked. You may also be left with vague memories of what happened). The really brave can also have the procedure with no anaesthesia at all.

[Mobi]

BTW, one of the worst parts of having a 'proper' colonoscopy is the enema you have to take the night before to clean out your stomach.

Agh.......

I think you meant "laxative", not "enema". It's also required before a virtual colonoscopy.

Colonoscopies aren't only done under general anaesthetic. They can be done under twilight anaesthesia (you're barely conscious, feel no pain, but can change position if asked. You may also be left with vague memories of what happened). The really brave can also have the procedure with no anaesthesia at all.

Yes, Laxative. On both occasions I was sh...ing all night! Very unpleasant!

I really don't recall having to take a laxative for the 'virtual' but it was a while back so maybe my memory is faulty.

I doubt whether you will get a colonospy in Thailand without a general anaesthetic. At both hospitals I went to they gave me one, (Q Sirikit and Bumrrungrad) and I was even admitted overnight at Rajavithi just to have an angiogram, which has never happened anywhere else.

Doctors here seem to prefer to have their patients well preprepared and out cold....

[AyG]

I doubt whether you will get a colonospy in Thailand without a general anaesthetic. At both hospitals I went to they gave me one, (Q Sirikit and Bumrrungrad) and I was even admitted overnight at Rajavithi just to have an angiogram, which has never happened anywhere else.

I had it under twilight sedation at Vejthani, so it is available here. I didn't have to ask for it - it was the doctor's preferred choice.

[Sheryl]

I think what you are calling "twilight" and what Mobi is calling "general" are one and the same, i.e. IV sedation deep enough not to feel any discomfort or remember the procedure.

One thing you should consider about the virtual colonoscopy is, in addition to being less accurate, it entails a not insignificant radiation exposure. CTs involve much more radiation than say ordinary Xrays. if there is a medical need for a CT, it is worth this, but a CT would not be recommended as a routine screening tool.

As for visualizing liver etc, a simple abdominal ultrasound will do this simply, cheaply and with no radiation, and is part of many check-up packages.

[AyG]

I think what you are calling "twilight" and what Mobi is calling "general" are one and the same, i.e. IV sedation deep enough not to feel any discomfort or remember the procedure.

No. Different things. Twighlight anaesthesia is indeed sedation deep enough not to feel any discomfort, but one remains awake. (In practice I did remember parts of the procedure, including one rather embarrassing moment that I'd rather not have remembered.) This is what I had at Vejthani.

More recently I had a colonoscopy at Samitivej Srinakarin. This was under general anaesthetic, meaning that I was totally unconscious and have no memory whatsoever of the experience.

At least in British English "general anaesthesic" specifically means being unconscious. See, for example a British government website http://www.nhs.uk/conditions/Anaesthetic-general/Pages/Definition.aspx

[Sheryl]

Yes, I know the definition of general anesthesia. And it does not hinge on being completely unconscious, just on acting in a systemic way i.e. affecting the entire central nervous system, as opposed to local anesthesia which acts only on specific nerves/nerve networks. There are several levels of general anesthesia, only in the 4th level is the patient completely unconscious, this often requires intubation and nobody uses this for a colonoscopy.

So-called "Twilight sleep" AKA conscious sedation (level 2) is performed with general anesthetic agents given in a slightly lower dosage. In many cases, the patient has no memory of the event, but they were not completely unconscious at the time. Certain short-acting sedative agents have the effect of retrograde amnesia e.g. propofol.

You and Mobi are talking about the same thing. And you were likely no more unconscious during the procedure at Samitivej than you had been at Vejthani, just the use of a drug (or dosage) that induced retrograde amnesia.

[AyG]

And you were likely no more unconscious during the procedure at Samitivej than you had been at Vejthani, just the use of a drug (or dosage) that induced retrograde amnesia.

Thank you for knowing more about my personal experience that I did. I was under the foolish expression that my level of consciousness was totally different in both cases. I stand corrected. I am in your debt.

[rainwater]

So does anyone know the costs of a regular Colonoscopy or any ideas about prices at Queen Sirikit? I refuse to go to Pattaya Memorial or Bangkok Pattaya on Sukhumvit, plus I am already registered with Queen S hospital from 2008 when I had the GI guy look me over (IBS diagnosis, now it's back) and need this procedure done soon. Thanks for the thread and comments...

also note, the new Pattaya City Government Hospital is now open and pretty good/cheap on Soi Buakhao. 100 baht to see a doctor, GPO meds, they did minor surgery on my foot 170 baht with stitches. It is not full service yet with an OR, but they have a small ER and 3 to 5 doctors there everyday 8:30 till 4:30.

If I have to go to Bangkok I will do that, I have gone to Saint Camillian Hospital Soi Thonglor (Soi 55) many times when I lived in BKK, it is a non profit hospital partially funded by the Catholic Church and very reasonable prices. Camillian Hospital is run by St. Camillus Foundation Thailand, registered as a general private hospital (secondary hospital) with four complete buildings, 74 rooms, 120 intensive care beds.

[jeanpierre]

i had colone troubles last year went back home

a video capsule in the morning on a empty stomack

it takes 2 pictures every second so i had the compleet picture from troht to yes the end

had to waith two days for the cd rom but very nice and clear pics

next day coloscopy they took tree bumps away no more problems

as you see in my name i am not a natif english speaker sory sory

[Sheryl]

So does anyone know the costs of a regular Colonoscopy or any ideas about prices at Queen Sirikit? I refuse to go to Pattaya Memorial or Bangkok Pattaya on Sukhumvit, plus I am already registered with Queen S hospital from 2008 when I had the GI guy look me over (IBS diagnosis, now it's back) and need this procedure done soon. Thanks for the thread and comments...

also note, the new Pattaya City Government Hospital is now open and pretty good/cheap on Soi Buakhao. 100 baht to see a doctor, GPO meds, they did minor surgery on my foot 170 baht with stitches. It is not full service yet with an OR, but they have a small ER and 3 to 5 doctors there everyday 8:30 till 4:30.

If I have to go to Bangkok I will do that, I have gone to Saint Camillian Hospital Soi Thonglor (Soi 55) many times when I lived in BKK, it is a non profit hospital partially funded by the Catholic Church and very reasonable prices. Camillian Hospital is run by St. Camillus Foundation Thailand, registered as a general private hospital (secondary hospital) with four complete buildings, 74 rooms, 120 intensive care beds.

ranges 12,000 - 17,000 at private hospitals

will be perhaps half thqat at queen Sirikit

Phyathai Sri Racha periodically has special offers for it, get on their mailing list

[txp158]

It's a known fact that CT colonoscopy has comparable accuracy to the real colonoscopy in detection of a polyp of significant size (1 cm or more). Because the radiologist will not be observing your bowel directly but through series of pictures developed by CT scan, you'll need to clean your bowel really really well. Otherwise, residual feces will be interpreted as a real polyp. Just make sure you do your bowel prep exactly like what the hospital personnel asks of you. When you arrive at the hospital, they'll pump lots of gas into your rectum and after that they'll do the scaning which will take less than 5 mins.

In the real colonoscopy, they put a fiber optic camera the size of your index finger into the rectum and if they want to be thorough they'll need to go as far as the iliocecal valve. And because of that there is always some risk of bowel perforation abeit very low. If the procedure is performed by a gastroenterologist and they accidentally perforate your large bowel, he/she won't be able to fix it. And you'll end up having your bowel perforated for quite some time until the surgeon's arrival. And if it's weekend or a surgeon's days off, you don't even want to think about it. Better safe than sorry => If you have the money, I suggest you do the virtual thinggy. I'm a doctor and I suggest all my family member to go through virtual colonoscopy instead of a real thing.

Queen sirikit hospital is one of the biggest navy hospital in Thailand. Many doctors there also work at private hospitals in chonburi such as bangkok pattaya, pattaya memorial, payathai sriracha and akechon hospital. It's kind of strange to see a foreigner in a navy hospital. Might I ask how you arrive there in the first place?

Edited December 21, 2013 by txp158

[Mobi]

I have the bill for my colonoscopy at Q Sirikit hospital in front of me.

The total bill amounted to 16,468 Baht, but that included 2 nights and food in a VIP room amounting to 6,075 Baht, and drugs, and other stuff amounting to around 4k.

The op itself is is itemised at 5,400 Baht, anaesthesia at 1,050 and general nursing at 1,350.

I was a special case due to being a diabetic and also on blood thinners and they had me in a day early to wean me off the thinners. They also insisted on providing me with their own meds and monitoring my blood sugars while I was an in-patient, which bumped up the cost a bit.

I am sure they will insist that you stay overnight and will give you a very strong laxative to clean out your insides.

Even if you go into a public ward there will still be a charge so I reckon if you allow around 8-10k you won't be too far out. Before you go, they will give you an estimate of the cost and ask for a deposit to cover it in advance.

FYI, all foreigners are charged 50% more than Thais. There are notices everywhere in the hospital to this effect but IMO the charges are still quite reasonable compared to some other places.

My personal view is that this hospital is fine for routine medical problems and the staff treat you with care and compassion. The doctors all seem to speak quite good English. But I wouldn't go there for anything out of the ordinary or particularly complex. After all, they completely failed to diagnose my chronic pancreatis, even when I suggested it to them after all the other tests proved negative.

They said the symptoms didn't match....

I hope the above is useful.

[Mobi]

Queen sirikit hospital is one of the biggest navy hospital in Thailand. Many doctors there also work at private hospitals in chonburi such as bangkok pattaya, pattaya memorial, payathai sriracha and akechon hospital. It's kind of strange to see a foreigner in a navy hospital. Might I ask how you arrive there in the first place?

The hospital is open to anyone who wishes to go there, including farangs, but at a higher charge.

I imagine the idea is that their staff gain their experience in treating the general public. Many, if not all the doctors and many of the nurses etc are naval officers. So I guess the only way they can get broad medical experience is by treating the general public. They do charge everyone and maybe it helps to defray the costs. It certainly is a huge place to run and maintain.

Obviously the naval staff and their families get preferential treatment.

[JSixpack]

Might I ask how you arrive there in the first place?

By car or motorbike is the usual way.

If you live nearby, you can arrive there by walking.

[txp158]

I know it is open for anyone but it's strange to see a foreigner walks into a navy hospital instead of a civilian hospital. That's all. No offense is intended really. Beside CT colonoscopy is an elective as opposed to emergency procedure, so I'm sure he wasn't there because of emergency reason. But whatever his reason is, he knows a good deal about Chonburi public health provider -- because the queen hospital is the best public hospital Chonburi has to offer.

[Sheryl]

Foreigners in the Pattaya area are aware of this and frequently utilize it.

[Mobi]

Surely, not much stranger than presence of the non-military, general public (Thais) who make up a vast majority of its patients.

To all intents and purposes it seems to be run no different to any government hospital I have been to in Thailand, except that many of the doctors and care-givers wear a naval uniform.

As stated in my previous post, this must be by design as if they didn't open their doors to all comers, the huge, well equipped hospital would probably be 90% empty, whereas as it is, the Thais and us, fulfil a need.

They are also clearly geared up for foreigners, as is indicated by the many notices in English explaining the the charge structure for foreigners.

Yes, probably strange to find such a set-up in the UK or USA, but not strange in the Land of Smiles,where they tend to do things their own way...

[txp158]

The general public do make the vast majority of their out patients. But it takes some connections for anyone to be admitted as an in-patient.

I was sorta expecting that you got some sort of military connection. I didn't realize that you got admitted by just walking in. You see that's the benefit of being a farang, you always get the premium treatment. Nah, I kid, it's probably because you were paying them in cash.

It appears you farang know a lot about Thailand more than you'd like to show on the outside. I guess I'll have to be more careful when a farang approaches me in my clinic from now on.

Edited December 22, 2013 by txp158

[Mobi]

That's rubbish. The surgical, cardiac and other outpatient clinics were full of ordinary Thais.

I had to wait in turn usually for several hours to see a specialist and was given no preferential treatment. In fact I was often near the back of the queue.

Farangs are charged 50 % more than Thais which is reasonable but is not a massive markup which might (in your eyes) merit special treatment.

All Thais are admitted if so required and no special connections are required.

Instead of all this unfounded speculation, why dont you go there and see for yourself?

I have been there on at least 6 visits including being an impatient and my spoken Thai is good enough to understand what is going on around me and where all the patients have come from.

I honestly can't understand your beef. You have been told but you think we are all stupid farangs.

Just what is your point?

Sent from my GT-N7100 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

[txp158]

That's rubbish. The surgical, cardiac and other outpatient clinics were full of ordinary Thais. I had to wait in turn usually for several hours to see a specialist and was given no preferential treatment. In fact I was often near the back of the queue. Farangs are charged 50 % more than Thais which is reasonable but is not a massive markup which might (in your eyes) merit special treatment. All Thais are admitted if so required and no special connections are required. Instead of all this unfounded speculation, why dont you go there and see for yourself? I have been there on at least 6 visits including being an impatient and my spoken Thai is good enough to understand what is going on around me and where all the patients have come from. I honestly can't understand your beef. You have been told but you think we are all stupid farangs. Just what is your point? Sent from my GT-N7100 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

hrm....I was messing with you. I didn't think you were going to take my comment seriously, so I guess I'll try to behave from now on.

With that aside, I like to tell you as much as I am a doctor, I am also a capitalist. I do not think anyone in the right mind should have to pay anything more than they have to. One should not be ashamed of too carefully spending his/her hard earned money. And by going to the best available public hospital, you have already proven to me that you are pretty smart. Please do not take this as an offense or a form of sarcasm.

Nevertheless, I have a concern regarding to your so-called 50% more fee in that I find it hard to believe any government establishments would have a separate price for each treatment and medication for different group of people. I know many private hospitals do practice such despicable act for a fact, but I have yet to see it happens in any government hospitals. To see you post about it on the internet as a form of advice for other people, I don't know know whether to call it's disturbing or disappointing. That's pretty much the only thing I don't like about your comment. I have never worked at the queen hospital before but I have a friend who used to work there. I guess I'll find out about it tomorrow.

[Mobi]

I try to provide information, I may occasionally offer an opinion, but rarely, if ever, offer advice and I certainly haven’t offered any advice on this thread. Just info and maybe an opinion or two.

Q Sirikit is NOT a government hospital; it is a military hospital and as such, can presumably set its own rules.

From what I have seen, their charges are quite low, and for me, IN MY OPINION, if a Thai is charged 1,000 Baht and I am charged 1,500 baht, that is a REASONABLE mark up.

You may not agree, and that is your right, but I hardly see their policy as being despicable.

(Despicable: Appalling, contemptible, wicked, loathsome and so on…)

There must have been millions of words written on the subject of so-called dual pricing on Thai Visa, and I don’t really want to turn this into yet another discussion on this.

However, I will just say that if I go to a Thai national park where the Thais are charged 50 Baht and the foreigners 500 Baht, and the Thai charges are written with Thai numbers, (which are rarely used anywhere), to hide from us what they are doing, then I would say their policy is outrageous – but hardly despicable.

IMHO, a 50% mark up to foreigners on what is a low fee base is not unreasonable. At least the hospital has the good grace to put up signs everywhere informing you of this – including where you first go to register, so you have a clear choice of whether to accept it or not before you undergo treatment.

This is unlike some private hospitals which have operated an underhand two-tier pricing system for years.

I’ve said my piece, and suggest we leave it at that.

I wish you well on your visit.

[txp158]

Uhm...Just got a message from a friend of mine, she said you were right. The queen hospital operates under the defense ministry, so they could make their own rule.

But... it's still a government hospital tough.

[Sheryl]

For many years farangs paid the same as Thais, and more and more farang started to use the place so eventually they figured out they could make some money out of it. Military hospitals which get few farang usually don't have a separte pricing structure for them, but those that regularly treat farang usually do.

I live in Prachinburi. while I usually go to Bangkok for medical care, if for some reason I can't, then I use the army hospital in town. Far less crowded than the provincial hospital and better quality of care IMO. Just came back from there in fact. After hours consultation in the ER was 50 baht plus actual cost of the meds. Very reasonable. In Prachinburi they see few farang so no two tier pricing.

Many TV members have had knee/hip replacement surgery in military hospitals in various parts of the country. They are quite good at oprtho problems and of course for soemthing like that, costs in private hospitals are extremely high.